Alrighty...well, the fake air intakes...just may not be "fake" it could be an air intake into the rear engine. The wheels are classic VW...the chrome headlight covers weren't just added for "bling" affect...VW Beetle's made chrome headlight "eyelids" popular. The spoiler and intake may be a requirement for NASCAR in the movie...(You only see those additions in the NASCAR scenes and after he has been "cleaned up").
Now...did Herbie save Jim Douglas' life...or did Jim Douglas save Herbie's life? First off, Jim stuck up for Herbie when he had a "bad" owner. Herbie appreciated this and befriended Jim. Jim's priorities were racing, but he always had love for the "Bug". Jim buys a Lamborghini and Herbie goes to "commit suicide" by jumping off the bridge...If Jim wasn't present, Herbie would've gone off the bridge.
Lol well here we go, (nothing against you) The air intake is fake

the beetle engine has no need for such cooling devices especially since it would be hard to manipulate the air flow in the tiny body not designed for it so therefore they are fake in real life. But they could come up with a phony reason for them for the movie. The wheels are not classic, wheels too big and they are placed a little to much inward. The chrome covers that stick out were never part of Herbie before in any of the other series, true they give him a personality with his 3d gimmicks he performs in the movie, I guess I'm just a traditionalist at heart.
True Herbie would have committed suicide. However Jim found him and attempted to stop him, Jim slips while trying and slides off landing on his bumper, Herbie could have carried on with the suicide but instead the two made up and in a sense should have had a stronger bond with each other since they each saved each other's life. So there for Herbie was treated like crap having been given away so many times.
Btw luckily that was not a Lamborghini 350 that got beat up in the movie

[EDIT] hmm seems they even thrown good oh Nitrous in Herbie ( looks like it to me) ( NOS)... ahhh Disney Disney always have to throw in whets hot And Herbie even has two spoilers in the movie... one a NASCAR type and the other that giant GT2 Whale tail look alike. My favorite part is the hood pins in his hood which evidently don’t work since he’s popping his hood open with them. It also seems that Disney screwed up there CG Herbie model, or there real one , hard to tell but the lights are way to far apart and the fenders have an awkward shape. Anyhow I know its a movie but just a car enthusiast having fun
